David,

1) I'm not bashing anything, I'm expressing my opinion. We disagree. I write what I please, same as you.

2) You make it sound like picking the track is a big deal on a par with the making the rules. You don't like Belmont? It's only Monday. Pick another track. I could care less. Any one will do. You're calling the shots here and it suits me fine. It also does not prohibit me from posting my opinion.

2) I don't think you cooked the rules, but the rules are odd and not indicative of any of the skills traditionally associated with handicapping. As long as we both have to do the same thing, it's fine with me. I accept your rules because the rules don't matter to me. Arguing about this kind of crap and rules is what guys like you do. Guys like me, who have the strength of ten men, chop off heads and put them on sticks. And then eat them. Later.

3) The time to make your point with me and others, David, is in the contest, not at the windows or on a bulletin board. I won last time and I was gracious about it, so you don't have to give me any instructions on how to behave. Where I grew up, if you got out of line in this kind of thing you caught a nice beating, and this would have done you a world of good. I wouldn't have said a thing after my last stunning victory (given my negative ROI) if you didn't make your past-post review. If I lose, I will arrange to deliver the money to the Rag office, congratulate you, and keep my effin' mouth shut, providing you with a real life lesson in how to behave.

4) I 'pre-accuse' you based on your conduct after the last contest. You lost and posted about how great you did. Nothing I've said lacks justification.

5) I continue my gracious ways by granting you a re-match, and I let you make the rules. I could have denied you this opportunity and basked in my huge victory forever. You are clearly overwhelmed in the face of my impeccable contest conduct and you should be thanking me for giving you another chance instead of reviewing my comments. A simple "Thank you Mr. HP, Defending Champion, for this chance" would suffice.

In a competition between Man and Jello, the outcome is all but certain. All the pressure is on you here, even if you refuse to back your convictions with $500 instead of $100 and a lot of froufrou on a bulletin board. After all, if I lose, we'll have a tie; one contest for me and one for you. But if you lose...again...well, if I were you, I wouldn't even want to think about it.

Good luck and mea culpa my ass. Catch you Friday.

Signed, The Man Who Won The Last Contest And Lost Big At The Track And Had To Pay His Wife And Was Damn Happy About It, HP